Guide · Queensland islands ·
Moreton Island day trip: Tangalooma and the sand dunes
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Moreton Island day trip plans start with one choice: which boat you take. You can ride the Tangalooma resort launch from Holt Street Wharf in Pinkenba (about 75 minutes), or the Micat ferry from the Port of Brisbane (about 90 minutes), which lands near the Tangalooma Wrecks. Both give you a full day on the sand.
This guide, written in December 2023, sets out the two boats, what each day looks like, how permits work and what to pack. Moreton Island is Mulgumpin to its traditional owners, the Quandamooka People, and most of it is national park.
Sources for this section: Tangalooma Island Resort, Getting here; Moreton Island Adventures, DIY day tour; Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, About Gheebulum Kunungai (Moreton Island) National Park.
Two ways to get there
Queensland Parks lists the main boats from Brisbane. The two that suit a day visit are below.
| Boat | Leaves from | Trip time | Carries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tangalooma passenger launch | Holt Street Wharf, 220 Holt Street, Pinkenba | About 75 minutes | People only |
| Micat ferry | Port of Brisbane, southside of the river | About 90 minutes | People and vehicles |
Queensland Parks notes that the Tangalooma launch is for resort guests and day trippers only. The Micat lands at the Tangalooma Wrecks, a short walk from the beach, and is the usual choice if you want to roam on your own or bring a 4WD.
Sources for this section: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, About Gheebulum Kunungai (Moreton Island) National Park, barges and ferries; Tangalooma Island Resort, Getting here; Moreton Island Adventures, DIY day tour.
The Tangalooma day cruise
The resort sells set day cruises. Its August 2023 price table showed boats leaving Brisbane at 7:30am or 10am and leaving Tangalooma at 4pm. The Beach Day Cruise was the simplest, at A$95 for an adult and A$55 for a child. The resort also sold themed days with a 4WD desert safari, marine discovery, wreck snorkelling, quad bikes or whale watching. Whale watching ran from June to October only.
The desert safari uses resort buses that have drive-on access to the Tangalooma Desert, a set of tall sand dunes. The resort says guests can sand toboggan down the dunes at speeds of up to 40 km per hour.
Tangalooma also offers a later boat home. The 7pm launch leaves straight after the nightly dolphin feeding, which the resort says finishes about 7pm in winter, 7:30pm in spring and autumn, and 8pm in summer. The resort's table lists it with the Sunset Cocktail Package. Prices and times change, so check the resort booking page.
Sources for this section: Tangalooma Island Resort, Compare day cruises (archived August 2023); Tangalooma Island Resort, Desert Safari Day Cruise.
The Micat walk-on day
The Micat operator describes a do-it-yourself day for walk-on passengers. You build your own plan, since the boat lands at the Wrecks and the beach is close.
- Book ahead. The operator says walk-on seats can sell out, so book a couple of days early. Online bookings close 1 hour before departure.
- Turning up costs more. A ticket bought on the day costs 20 percent more than online (A$75 return was quoted) and is one way only.
- Three bags only. You carry everything aboard yourself. Extra pieces cost A$10 each way.
- Bar and toilets. There is a bar on board that opens at 9am, and toilets on the boat and at the terminal.
If you drive, whatever fits in or on your car can go. A vehicle also needs a permit, covered below.
Sources for this section: Moreton Island Adventures, DIY day tour (archived 5 December 2023).
What to do on the island
The Tangalooma Wrecks are a set of old ships lying in the water. The operator says they sit about 200 m off the sand, and that it is a short swim out. It calls the wrecks a public attraction that needs no booking. It also warns that strong currents can sweep between the beach and the wrecks, so take care and swim within your ability.
You can bring your own snorkel gear or hire snorkels and kayaks, including clear bottom kayaks, from Sunset Safaris on the beach. Look for the big orange bus. Near the landing there are also sand dunes with a walk to the top.
The wider park has more. Queensland Parks describes clear creeks and lagoons, tall dunes, a historic lighthouse and the ruins of World War II coastal forts. Humpback whales can be seen from Cape Moreton between June and November. Cape Moreton is far to the north, so it suits an overnight stay or a long 4WD day rather than a ferry walk-on.
On the dolphins: Tangalooma began hand feeding wild dolphins in January 1992, after guests fishing at the jetty had tossed spare fish to one visiting dolphin. The feeding runs each evening. The resort says casual visitors cannot enter its grounds for it, and only resort guests and some day cruise packages have access. The dolphins also may not come, since attendance depends on weather and tides.
Sources for this section: Moreton Island Adventures, DIY day tour; Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, About Gheebulum Kunungai (Moreton Island) National Park; Tangalooma Island Resort, history of the dolphin feeding and nightly attendance pages (archived August 2023).
Permits, food and tides
Queensland Parks says permits to drive or camp in the recreation area are booked through Mulgumpin Camping. Moreton Island Adventures adds that you need a vehicle access permit to drive on the island, even if you only head to the resort, because the island is 98 percent national park. Native title for the Quandamooka People was formally recognised on 22 November 2019, and the permits are booked through their corporation. Mulgumpin Camping can be reached on (07) 3506 2371.
- Food and water. There is no easy shop near the landing. Castaways at Bulwer is about a 20 minute drive north. Moreton Island Adventures says Tangalooma typically does not let non-resort customers into the resort, so pack lunch and water.
- Rubbish. Queensland Parks says there are no bins on the east side of the island. Take your rubbish home.
- Tides. The operator says tide times are the hardest part of getting around by 4WD, so check them before any drive.
Sources for this section: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, About Gheebulum Kunungai (Moreton Island) National Park; Moreton Island Adventures, DIY day tour.
Sources
- Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, About Gheebulum Kunungai (Moreton Island) National Park (archived April 2023): parks.des.qld.gov.au
- Moreton Island Adventures, DIY day tour (archived 5 December 2023): moretonislandadventures.com.au
- Moreton Island Adventures, Moreton Island National Park permits: moretonislandadventures.com.au
- Tangalooma Island Resort, Getting here (archived August 2023): tangalooma.com
- Tangalooma Island Resort, Compare day cruises (archived August 2023): tangalooma.com
- Tangalooma Island Resort, Desert Safari Day Cruise: tangalooma.com
- Tangalooma Island Resort, History of wild dolphin feeding: tangalooma.com
- Tangalooma Island Resort, Nightly dolphin attendance: tangalooma.com